The submarine TGC Piri Reis (S-330) has already been incorporated into the Turkish Navy. This is the first unit of a batch of six ships based on the Tipo-214N German submarines, which are the first submarines built in Turkey. These are units equipped with air-independent propulsion technology (AIP), which allows them to spend longer periods of time underwater without having to recharge their batteries (up to several weeks), making them much more difficult to detect.
In addition to the addition of the six submarines of the new class, which the country hopes to complete by the end of this decade, Turkey also plans to have another four submarines of the future model by the mid-2030s. Mildof national development, of which it also hopes to build six in total.
Ankara currently has the second largest fleet of submarines in the world. I’LL TAKEsecond only to that of the United States. These are all imported vessels, specifically a dozen units from the German family Type-209.
Visit to the Piri Reis submarine by Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar. Photo. Turkish Ministry of Defence
Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoganbroadcast in November 2021 to Spanish Government its interest in having Spain as a technological partner for a submarine programme. The public company Navantia has already collaborated with the Turkish industry in the construction of the vessel TCG Anatoliabased on the Juan Carlos I of the Spanish Navy.
Second unit, in sea trials
Last June, Navantia informed the Turkish authorities, during a high-level meeting between the two countries, of its willingness to expand collaboration in new naval defence programmes for submarines and also frigates. “Navantia is prepared to support the Turkish Navy in the programmes [de submarinos] Mild y [buques de superficie] TF-2000 with the knowledge and skills acquired during the programs S-80 y F-110“developed for Spain, according to the shipyard itself.
The delivery of the TCG Piri Reis coincides with the start of the navigation tests of the second unit of the class, the Hey Reis (S-331) and the beginning of the assembly of the third, the Murat Rice (S-332).
